Box Score ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Junior guard Amere May (South Haven, MI) scored a game-high 29 points including the game-winning layup with three seconds left to give Saint Augustine's University a 68-66 non-conference men's college basketball win over fellow CIAA member Elizabeth City State University in the ECSU Invitational at the Vaughn Center on Friday, November 29, 2013.

May also corralled 10 rebounds. Sophomore forward Daniel Clark (Danville, VA) added 12 points and senior guard Joel Kindred (Raleigh, NC) posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Falcons, who improved to 3-3 overall and snapped a three-game losing streak.

"To learn how to win you have to close out games and this was a step forward," said First-Year St. Aug Head Coach Tony Sheals, who recorded his first victory over a CIAA opponent even though it was a non-conference game.

May scored the game-winner after the Vikings (2-4 overall) tied the game on Jaron Moore's layup with 15 seconds remaining. May scored on a baseline shot after splitting a double team in the closing seconds.

"We didn't call timeout [after Moore's basket] because Amere May had the ball in open court," Sheals said. "Amere made an incredible shot. He was trapped and did a step through move. He faked a pass as he slid through the double team and shot a floater. I almost took a timeout because I thought he was trapped."

May finished 11 of 21 from the floor, including two three-pointers, and was 5 of 5 from the free throw line for the Falcons. He was 5 of 9 for 13 points in the second half as the Falcons held off a late Vikings run.
The Falcons, who led all but the game's first two minutes, held a 10-point second-half lead twice, the second time at 50-40 at the 11:22 mark on a layup by senior center Jon Crawley (Richmond, VA). The Vikings mounted a furious 18-8 rally to tie the score at 58 with 5:45 left.

Clark made 4 of 4 free throw attempts and May was 2 of 2 from the free throw line to help the Falcons take a 66-62 lead with 1:19 left. Layups by Darrell Ward and Moore tied the game before May hit the deciding bucket. The Falcons prevailed after the Vikings misfired on a long three-pointer.

After losing two games by six points or less this season, Sheals says his young squad grew up against ECSU, a traditionally tough program in the CIAA. In the second half, the Falcons outrebounded the Vikings 22-10 and made 8 of 9 free throws for 89 percent. Clark scored 11 of his 12 points in the second half on 3 of 4 shooting from the floor and 5 of 5 shooting from the free throw line. He also snatched five boards in the second half despite playing with four fouls. Kindred had 6 of his 10 boards in the second half, and junior guard-forward Tayron Gibson (Alexandria, VA) contributed three points, three rebounds and one block off the bench.

"We got key rebounds, key free throws and key stops," Sheals said. "It was a team effort."

May scored 16 points and pulled down eight rebounds to boost the Falcons to a 34-27 halftime lead. He scored 12 consecutive points during a three-minute stretch to help the Falcons build an early 17-7 lead. The Vikings rallied as starters May, Clark and Crawley each picked up two fouls, but Sheals praises his team's depth for preserving a seven-point halftime lead.

"The first half was won by our bench," Sheals said. "I give credit to Tavarez Hall (freshman forward/Beech Island, SC) , Raheem Jolliffe (junior guard/Fayetteville, NC), Anthony Gaskins (freshman guard/Greenville, NC), Gibson and John Koger (junior guard/Greensboro, NC). They played solid defense and rebounded. They kept us in the game in the first half and allowed us to do some things later in the game. We played one of our best halves in the last three games."

Dominique Byrd led the Vikings with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Ward added 13 points and Shaquil Barber scored 12 points for the Vikings.

The Falcons play again on Saturday, November 30 against Washington Adventist in the ECSU Invitational. Game time is 7 p.m.

"[Washington Adventist] has athletic, long and big players who get up and down the floor," Sheals said. "We have our work cut out."

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